Professional Identity and Stewardship: Part I Peer Interview

Professional Identity and Stewardship – Part I: Peer Interview

AMP-450V: Leadership and Vocation

Professional Identity and Stewardship – Part I: Peer Interview

I tried to contact a peer in my class to interview and get her views on Professional Identity and Stewardship. Since she did not respond in time, instead conducted an interview with Jisha Mani. She is a nurse who works with me in the same hospital but on different floors. She works as a floor nurse in the medical surgical unit. I personally met her and asked her four questions regarding professional stewardship. The short interview reflected on her role as a professional nurse in the healthcare field. She portrayed accurately on professionalism and leadership roles in her nursing career and practice.

What is your role as a health care team member?

I feel my primary role is to provide patients with effective and safe care. As an RN, I actively collaborate with different team members including physicians and different therapists. I also coach and educate nursing students, nurse techs and works alongside them.

How do you define professionalism and how does professional responsibility influence your work?

Being a professional means setting a high personal standard and values in a work environment. It is the ability to care for the patients with integrity, competency, empathy and consideration. Professionalism can also be seen in a person’s total appearance, including dress. A person’s appearance if not up to the standard and values set by the organization, it can project an image of incompetence and sloppiness. If a nurse does not take the time to have a proper appearance, then the patients might doubt the nurse’s ability to take good care of them. When a patient feels that they are being cared for by real professionals, they feel confident and reassured that they are in good and safe hands. Professionalism also means how one conducts oneself at work, the way we communicate with people around us and also coming to work prepared and loose talk. I feel that I have to be the strongest advocate for my patients; the professional responsibility to the patients comes first and foremost to me. I also feel the responsibility to uphold the high values and standards set forth by the organization and that guides me in all my decisions

I consider leaders in the organization stewards of health care. Stewardship in healthcare setting calls for acting in the best interest of the patients entrusted to them and at the same time catering to the needs of the supporting staff. I feel that the leaders in the organization as stewards of healthcare promote the importance of having a positive work environment. The leaders in the organization always appeared to show a positive attitude and were easily approachable irrespective of their position in the organization. Jisha was especially vocal in her praise of her immediate leader, the nurse-in-charge, though her stewardship was confined to her unit. I feel that the efforts of my boss made my unit a great place to work. I also feel that all nurses are stewards by being organized and taking care of the health of their patients.

• Do you consider yourself a steward of health care? Why or Why not?

It was an emphatic ‘yes’, when I asked her if it is important to her that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity as well as power and influence when working with colleagues. She went on. I strongly feel that when a leader shows those skills in the workplace they gain the respect and honor of all the other members of the staff. If the staff members look up to their leaders for guidance then the greater the influence they have on them, making them perform at a greater level. Authenticity can affect not only the nursing work force, but the health care delivery system as a whole. Power may mean different things to different people, but for me, power lies in the knowledge and expertise of nursing practice.

• Is it important to you that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity as well as power and influence when working with colleagues? Why or why not?

Author’s Impressions

Great leaders will always be able to influence and implement decisions for the betterment of the organization and mastering the art of influence is the key to effective leadership.

Professionalism combined with its responsibilities, play an important role in the life of a nurse delivering quality health care. It is professionalism that makes a nurse garner respect from the colleagues, nurse leaders and motivate them to accomplish and work in a higher level. Both I and Jisha are fortunate to have nurse leaders that we can look up to with confidence for guidance and who are influential and stewards of healthcare. These leaders stand firmly for their staff members, support, and guide and encourage them to be better versions of themselves at the same time maintaining a balance of authenticity, power and influence.

References

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